In this case, about 17,000 Youth Hooded Sweatshirts and Jackets are being recalled by Century 21 Promotions, Inc. due to strangulation hazard. The recalled Youth Hooded Sweatshirts and Jackets were manufactured and imported by Century 21 Promotions, of Seattle, Washington. To date, no reports of incidents or injuries have been reported.

The sweatshirts have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, the CPSC issued guidelines to help prevent children from strangling or becoming entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. In 1997, industry adopted a voluntary standard for drawstrings that incorporated the CPSC guidelines. In May 2006, the CPSC’s Office of Compliance issued an announcement that such outerwear with drawstrings at the hood or neck would be regarded as both defective and a substantial risk of injury to young children.

Unfortunately, the CPSC guidelines are routinely ignored by the clothing industry, and that attitude has had deadly consequences for some children. From January 1985 through January 1999, the CPSC received reports of 22 deaths and 48 non-fatal entanglement incidents involving drawstrings on children’s clothing.

The recalled Youth Hooded Sweatshirts and Jackets were sold at Montauk Clothing, Riptide East, Shirt Shops of Cape May, Summer Sweats, Rip Current Sportswear, B&B Department Stores, Trapper Jack’s, Annie & The Tees, Emporium, Inc., The Trading Company, Mackerel Jack’s, Carmel Classics, Rolands, The Ship Gift Shop, Star Department Store, Seattle Shirt, and Simply Seattle from September 2005 through September 2009 for between $25 and $35. Most stores are located in New England with two stores each in Seattle, Washington, and Alaska.

The recalled Youth Hooded Sweatshirts and Jackets were made in China and are just one of many recalls and issues on which we have written concerning defective products, food, and medicines imported into this country from China. Such defective imports have been making headlines in recent years; the recalled Youth Hooded Sweatshirts and Jackets recall is just another of many such issues. In 2008, nearly 80 percent of all product recalls in the U.S. involved imports from China. Products such as dog food, baby formula, toys with lead paint, and even pharmaceuticals like heparin have been found to have been made with toxic materials and other counterfeit ingredients that have long put American consumers at significant risk. Also making news is the ongoing and massive Chinese drywall disaster involving imports from that country.

The CPSC is advising consumers to immediately remove the drawstrings from the sweatshirts to eliminate the hazard, or return the garment to the place of purchase for a full refund. Century 21 Promotions can be reached, toll-free at 1-800-935-2100 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

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